Mormon Blogger Quits Church To Avoid Discipline

David Twede, an Orlando-based blogger,  ran afoul of the Church of Latter Day Saints back in September with writings on his website MormonThink.com, that the Mormon church declared “apostasy.”

Twede, who faced excommunication as a possible result of a scheduled disciplinary hearing, made the decision to simply quit the church rather than participate in disciplinary proceedings. Reuters reported that Twede quit on Friday at a conference for former Mormons in Salt Lake City. He also sent a letter to the church, asking that his name be removed from the rolls.

Tweded posted a copy of his resignation letter on his blog, entitled “To Salt Lake With Indifference.”

“I wish to assure you that I am not leaving the church because of some personal slight or insult, or because I have “sinned” or am unable to ‘keep the commandments,’ ” Twede wrote. “I have simply come to the very sad realization that the church is not what it claims to be, that its doctrine is false, and that the LDS church is not where I wish to be.”

Twede, who’s letter of resignation mentions Republican presidential candidate and fellow Mormon Mitt Romney by name, believed that his blog posts critical of the candidate may have played a role in the Mormon church’s decision to discipline him but an LDS official denied that politics were involved. The LDS church has an official policy of political neutrality.

“The church is an advocate of individual choice. It is a core tenet of our faith,” spokesman Michael Purdy said. “Church discipline becomes necessary only in those rare occasions when an individual’s actions cannot be ignored while they claim to be in good standing with the church.”

Twede, like the previous managing editor of MormonThink.com, faced excommunication for his writings and affiliation with the site.

“If people want to learn about the true historical issues of the church, that they won’t hear about in Sunday School, they can learn about them here,” MormonThink.com’s ‘About’ section reads. “We aren’t afraid to discuss the tough issues. We hope to make the church we grew up in a better place by making it more honest.”

The Washington Post reported that a disciplinary hearing schedule for the embattled Mormon blogger for late September was postponed for a scheduling conflict. Since Twede has quit the church, a hearing is likely not necessary.